JESSICA van VONDEREN: Queensland's Child Protection inquiry closed its doors this week, to hear sensitive evidence. A former foster child has testified that he should never have been taken from his mother, and we'll hear from him shortly. The Inquiry is examining whether inappropriate removals of children are driving the skyrocketing numbers in out of home care. But for young babies, the Inquiry may recommend authorities should act sooner to permanently remove them from harmful parents. Annie Guest reports.

(FOOTAGE OF ISAAC PLAYING GUITAR)

ANNIE GUEST: 19-year-old Isaac travelled a hard road to this peaceful Brisbane sharehouse. It began with violence at home including one parent trying to strangle the other.

ISAAC: And I could see that and I just froze because I didn't know what to think, what to do and after there was 30 seconds or however long of no sound I just started crying.

ANNIE GUEST: His parent's marriage disintegrated. Isaac's mother struggled to care for her five children and fearing child safety officers would take them, she fled.

ISAAC: It would have at least been nine to ten homes within say four years. Now that doesn't sound too bad I guess but in regards to also in between just staying at a person's place or even sleeping in the car or we did a lot of camping too.

ANNIE GUEST: When the department caught up with them, the children were added to the soaring numbers in foster care. Those numbers have more than doubled in a decade. 12-year-old Isaac was distraught, along with his younger siblings.

ISAAC: He used to cry overnight and all that sort of stuff missing his mum as a result he couldn't sleep. But I won't go into it too much but he started wetting the bed.

ANNIE GUEST: Isaac ran away from foster care near Warwick at age 16. He's told the Child Protection Inquiry his mother developed drug and alcohol problems but should have been helped to keep her children.

ISAAC: There's been a family breakdown you guys have been divorced that's hard in itself. Here are some services for you as a mother to help your own emotional stuff to help you through it, so counselling, whatever. Having five children is a big no no for real estate they don't like that. It's hard enough to get that sort of placement in terms of housing, so offering support services to do with that.

ANNIE GUEST: The Inquiry is considering whether such family support would be better and cheaper than foster care, which costs $48,000 a year. Indigenous leaders believe it could reduce the number of indigenous children among the seven and a half thousand Queenslanders in out of home care.

WILL HAYWARD, ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER LEGAL SERVICE: We currently face a crisis in child protection with the rates of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children reaching 37% currently. It's also projected to hit 60% in 2015.

WILL HAYWARD: If we look internationally, in Canada and New Zealand culture is integrated in their child protection systems. And their first nation's people play a fundamental role in the case management and case work activities for their children and for their families and they contribute to the reduction of over-representation.

(FOOTAGE OF GRAPH SHOWING TYPE 11 TRAUMA AND BRAIN STRUCTURE)

ANNIE GUEST: For some children the damage is already done by age three because abuse causes the prolonged release of toxic stress hormones. Psychiatrist Dr Stephen Stathis gave evidence about abuse.

DR STEPHEN STATHIS, PSYCHIATRIST: So what we know is that abuse early on can cause smaller brains.

ANNIE GUEST: So while there's concern too many older children are taken from parents, the Inquiry is questioning whether not enough babies are removed.

DR STEPHEN STATHIS: The part of the brain that's very important in executive functioning is up to 20% smaller in adults. And they've traced it back to abuse and neglect, in particular sexual abuse, at an early age.

(FOOTAGE OF THE "STILL FACE EXPERIMENT)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0

ANNIE GUEST: Brain development is stimulated by attaching to a carer. This research from the University of Massachusetts shows a baby's ability to read and respond to its mother.

(FOOTAGE FROM "THE STILL FACE EXPERIMENT YOUTUBE)

MOTHER: Oh good girl

ANNIE GUEST: The mother interacts with the baby, then denies it attention. The baby strives to get a response from its mother, then gets stressed and eventually turns away.

(FOOTAGE FROM "THE STILL FACE EXPERIMENT YOUTUBE)

MOTHER: Ok Ok Ok

ANNIE GUEST: Having multiple foster carers also limits attachment.

(FOOTAGE OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE THIS WEEK)

ANNIE GUEST: Now while the Government is apologising for forced adoptions, the Inquiry is considering encouraging adoption or long term fostering.

DR STEPHEN STATHIS: I strongly advocate that we look for what we call permanency of placement because the child needs to attach.

WILL HAYWARD: I've reunified a child after 10 years in care. So the door should never be closed on family. And long term we must see the benefits for children where it's` appropriate to be placed back with their families.

(FOOTAGE OF BRISBANE YOUTH DETENTION CENTRE)

ANNIE GUEST: Children who've been abused make up the majority of youths convicted of crimes.

DR STEPHEN STATHIS: We know that 70 to 75 % of girls and 60 to 65 % of boys report mental health problems and drug and alcohol problems.

ANNIE GUEST: The most damaged children can't be fostered and cost the State up to $350,000 a year. It has helped drive a quadrupling of the annual child safety budget to $700M. The Inquiry may recommend a return to institutions for these adolescents.

DR STEPHEN STATHIS: These children are not just housed in a home. They're provided education. They're provided with drug and alcohol counselling. They're provided with mental health counselling. They're provided with a range of other social skills and education.

ANNIE GUEST: Meanwhile, as the Inquiry grapples with these issues, Isaac tries to come to terms with his unstable past.

ISAAC: In terms of depression, and um I like to say I understand depression quite well. It's like a well literally you're going fine, you're going fine then you access parts of your life or certain situations of your life and you fall into this rut and you're stuck there.

ANNIE GUEST: This year Isaac began studying engineering at University however he deferred when feeling overwhelmed. But he's going to keep trying.

ISAAC: I've got myself a stable home, financially that sort of thing. I'm feeling more grounded in Brisbane, I can go around so that's why I feel that next year, when I'll attempt again.

JESSICA van VONDEREN: Annie Guest reporting there and the Commission's final report is expected to be handed to the Government before April next year.